Alluaudomyia limu Wu & Li, 2022

Wu, Xiaoxiang, He, Zehua, Lin, Xiaodan, Deng, Bin, Zhai, Qi & Li, Jiahui, 2022, Three new species of the genus Alluaudomyia Kieffer, 1913 (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, China, ZooKeys 1112, pp. 199-218 : 199

Alluaudomyia limu Wu & Li sp. nov.

Figs 6 , 7 , 8

Type materials.

Holotype. China • Hainan Island: ♀, Qiongzhong County, Limushan Town, Limushan National Forest Park: near a stream, 815 m northwest Xue’ershanfang hotel, alt. 686 m, 19°10.45'N, 109°43.95'E, 20.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1077.

Paratypes (1♂4♀). China • Hainan Island: 2♀, Limushan National Forest Park: nearby stream, 186 m southeast Leige homestay, alt. 647 m, 19°10.50'N, 109°44.57'E, 20.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1076, cer1076-1 • 1♂, near mountain stream, 628 m east Limushan management building, Limushan National Forest Park, alt. 817 m, 19°10.62'N, 109°44.87'E, 20.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1097 [thorax missing] • 1♀, board road, 109 m south Badao, alt. 546 m, 19°4.99'N, 109°7.41'E, 21.V.2021; Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1131 • 1♀, Changjiang County, Qicha Town, Bawangling national natural reserve: Chicken coop near Yajia hotel, alt. 470 m, 19°5.10'N, 109°7.40'E, 21.V.2021; Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1138.

Diagnosis.

The new species belongs to the Alluaudomyia parva group, as proposed for A. reflexuralis . The color pattern of A. limu mostly resembles that of A. reflexuralis but can be distinguished by its straight and apical blunted gonostylus, interior forked distomedian process of aedeagus, and straight posterior margin of sternite 9 in males and the smooth surface of the spermatheca in females.

Description.

Female. Habitus (Fig. 6A ) 1.26-1.49 mm (1.36, n = 5) in length.

Head brown, P/H 0.51-0.61 (0.57, n = 5). Eyes contiguous, bare. Antenna brownish with slightly darker pedicel, proximal flagellomeres elongate and tapering, flagellum length 0.58-0.69 mm, AR 1.02-1.10 (1.06, n = 5). Clypeus brown with 4-6 setae. Palpus brown with segments 1-3 paler; third palpal segment with a small round proximal sensory pit, length 31-37 μm (33, n = 8), PRIII 2.18-2.36 (2.28, n = 5). Mandible with 10-12 teeth.

Thorax dark brown, yellowish brown laterally. Scutum dark brown with anterolateral areas and both sides of suture slightly paler (Fig. 6C ). Scutellum yellowish, dark medially, with 4 setae. Postscutellum dark brown.

Wings (Fig. 7A ) with a single conspicuous dark spot over apex of vein R3, vein infuscated except for r-m crossvein and part of veins R and R3 whitish; wing length 1.16-1.22 mm (1.07, n = 5), width 0.46-0.56 mm (0.53, n = 5), CR 0.52-0.56 (0.53, n = 5). Halter white.

Legs (Fig. 7B ) most in brown with pale rings. Coxae and trochanters all brown, of coxae slightly paler; fore- and midfemur brown, each with a subapical pale ring; hind femur pale at base and with a subapical pale ring; all tibiae brown with basal and subapical pale rings, and pale rings on hind tibia wider and more distinct; fore- and midtarsi pale brown, hind tarsomere 1 brown, other tarsomeres of hind tarsi yellowish. Hind tibial comb with 6-8 spines; claws unequal, fore- and midclaws much slender than hind claws. Tarsal ratio of foreleg TRI 1.92-2.11 (2.01, n = 5), of midleg TRII 2.24-2.38 (2.32, n = 5), of hind leg TRIII 2.58-2.72 (2.72, n = 5).

Abdomen (Fig. 7C ). Tergites with brownish markings. Sternite 9 (Fig. 7D ) heavily sclerotized, divided medially, each piece narrowing to rod shape at middle, broad at both ends, with a distinct projection at the internal end. Two suborbicular spermathecae (Fig. 7E ) unequal in size, measuring 50-62 μm (57, n = 5) by 44-54 μm (51, n = 5) and 43-52 μm (49, n = 5) by 41-48 μm (46, n = 5), with obvious neck.

Male. Habitus (Fig. 6B ) 2.00 mm in length.

Generally similar to female, differing as follows:

Antenna with pedicel dark brown, flagellomeres 1-10 pale brown, plumose hairs yellowish-brown, flagellomeres 11-13 brown. Teeth absent. Wing with a single spot covering apex of cell r2, with a few setae at margin. Scutum as in female but a shade darker (Fig. 6D ). Legs (Fig. 6B ) coloration similar to but much paler than females; foreleg more or less yellow-brown, with basal and subapical narrow pale rings of femur and tibia; mid- and hind leg pale with distal dark ends of femur and tibia. Abdomen pale, except tergites 4 and 5 with brown markings.

Male genitalia (Fig. 8A-D ). Tergite 9 broad at the base, tapering apically but not pointed; cerci 1/2 as long as gonocoxite, oblong, setose. Sternite 9 moderately short, about 2 times longer than broad; both anterior and posterior margins almost straight. Gonocoxite stout with distinct short setae and sparse long setae. Gonostylus stout, nearly straight and blunt apically. Aedeagus (Fig. 8C ) arched; basal arch low, with sclerotized anterior margin; two processes forked, protruding from base of distomedian process, tapering to pointed tip. Parameres (Fig. 8D ) separate, each one with a broad, detached basal arm, medial portion semi-embraced, tube-like, distal portion strongly curved and tapering into a pointed apex.

Etymology.

The species is named for Limu, the mother lord of the Li ethnic minority on Hainan Island.

Distribution.

China: Hainan Island: Qiongzhong and Changjiang County (Fig. 9 ).

Remarks.

All specimens of A. limu were collected from the rainforest of Hainan Island at altitudes of 567-817 m. Males and females were associated based on DNA barcodes.

Figures

Figure 6. Alluaudomyia limu Wu & Li, sp. nov. A female, habitus in lateral view B male, habitus in lateral view C thorax of female, dorsal view D thorax of male, dorsal view. Scale bars: 500 μm (A, B); 200 μm (C, D).

Figure 7. Alluaudomyia limu Wu & Li, sp. nov. A wing of female B thorax of female, lateral view C female abdomen, lateral view D sternite 9, ventral view E spermathecae. Scale bars: 200 μm (A, C); 500 μm (B); 50 μm (D, E).

Figure 8. Alluaudomyia limu Wu & Li, sp. nov. A male genitalia, ventral view B male genitalia with parameres and aedeagus removed, ventral view C aedeagus, ventral view D parameres, ventral view. Scale bars: 50 μm (A, B); 20 μm (C, D).

Figure 9. Geographical distribution of the three new species on Hainan Island. Hainan Island is also shown in the inset in the context of southern China.